The Dragon's Love

Anne T. Thyssen Fantasy

“Even if you cut off my head, even if you burn me until I’m nothing but ash, as I did Halia, the crown still isn’t yours. The South and the North will not follow you because they already have a queen.”
“The princess?” Sirrush inquired, almost mockingly.
I looked up at him, a smug smile spreading across my face, and nodded.
“Yes. Laelia. They will follow her.”
“She can’t touch us. We’ll make the people bow to us and show them she’s not their ruler. She’s nothing but a small princess.”
“You don’t know her like I do,” I replied. “She’s as fierce as the northern wind. She won’t bow, and neither will her people.”
The third person, still hidden behind my brothers, shifted uneasily at the mention of Laelia. I wondered who he was.
“She’s just one woman. She won’t stand in our way.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Are you afraid of a mere woman?” Sirrush taunted.
“Me? No, but you should be.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “Laelia is different. She’s someone people look up to. She’s a force, a symbol, maybe even a goddess in some people’s eyes. She makes people love her without really trying. She gives them hope. Even if you kill me, they’ll look to her. They’ll always follow her.”
It was clear, even to me, that my voice was filled with admiration. I truly did admire her. I had from the first time she looked at me.
“You’re a fool in love,” Sirrush sneered. “And you’ll die as one.”
***
Laelia is tired of sitting idly, waiting for Ashes and her brothers to return. Each passing day chips away at her hope, and when Samuel finally stumbles back, half-dead, she resolves to take matters into her own hands. Determined to save the others from Blaze and Sirrush, she sets out on a perilous journey.
Ashes, trapped by his brothers, clings to the thought of Laelia as his only source of warmth. Yet, he knows the end is near. When he is finally freed and Laelia pleads with him to let go of the throne, he cannot. He must reclaim what was stolen, even if it means risking the one person who means the most to him.
*Book Two*
Recommended to first read: The Dragon's Call

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